Haruto walked through the main streets of the busy and lively town in a casual black skin tight t-shirt, his usual black metal bands wrapped around his wrists, black leather pants with black cowboy-style boots. He had disintegrated his staff, knowing it would attract a lot of unwanted attention, not that he wasn't getting any attention even now.
His tall height, intimidatingly muscular body and Adonis-like visage were the cause of many stares, particularly from the opposite gender. His objective was to get some info on the Bounts, knowing his physical body would attract them in hopes of his soul being as strong and rich as his body.
Just as he turned around a street, a soft hypnotic humming or more like singing caught his attention. He turned towards the alley and walked forward hypnotically, knowing any other action would alert his would-be attacker and cause him or her to flee. Now he wouldn't want that, would he?
The singing and humming increased more and more in volume the closer he got to the attacker. Though the humming sound was no doubt used to hypnotize men and women and eventually cause their doom, it was still peaceful and alluring. From the shadows of the alley, a brown haired woman came into the light, causing Haruto to smile an imperceptible smile.
The woman was wearing a large-collared shirt with a vest over it that fanned out at the bottom, giving it the appearance of tails and a red tie. She was also wearing a bracelet on one hand while a clawed finger on the other hand.
Haruto was sure of the fact that the bracelet and the clawed finger was her Doll sealed form, if the somewhat similar Spiritual Energy coming from it was any indication.
So this was a Bount or the so-called Soul Hunters or Vampires.
Apparently, she thought he was hypnotized, thus unable to resist, the exact reason why she walked towards him without any sort of caution on her part. Haruto had half the mind to prevent her from sinking her teeth into his neck, but decided to let her feed first.
"Sorry for this, but I need power to accomplish my goals. You'll become a stepping stone for me to get to that goal." she said apologetically.
Haruto didn't say anything and let her do her thing, apparently too busy thinking over her apologetic tone to notice that she had already started feeding on his artificially created soul. He had created a soul or rather something akin to a human soul with average Spiritual Energy to provide the Bounts with a bait. However that was beside the point, it was the fact that she seemed sincere in her apology, desperate even, before consuming his soul.
Her eyes widened when she absorbed the soul yet the body was still as strong and as perfect as ever whereas it should have turned to dust the moment the soul was absorbed. She backed away when Haruto suddenly grinned, frightening her beyond belief.
"Who are you? What are you?" she asked in shock, causing Haruto to let out a soft smile.
"Relax, I mean you no harm. I'm merely here to talk," he said softly, releasing his original appearance which caused the brown haired woman to be even more on-guard.
"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" She raised her two hands, bringing her bracelet and the clawed finger together to cause a spark of fire before circling her flaming finger in an arc in front of her. "Zeige Dich! Goethe!"
Haruto watched in amusement when the sparks increased in volume, creating a humanoid fire creature without any legs or eyes as his staff materialized beside him. He gripped the staff and waited for her to attack, knowing she wouldn't calm down until and unless he calmed her down or she realized her attacks were useless.
Either way he was content to let her release her pent up frustration and anger. "I don't expect you to believe me, I expected you to think over it before you attacked."
She apparently mistook his soft smile as an insult and ordered her Doll to attack him, causing Haruto to sweatdrop. Was there something wrong with his smile? She should be a pile of melted flesh from seeing the sheer cuteness of his smile!
The creature let out a primal roar and stretched his two hands, huge balls of blazing fire appeared in his hands as he launched at the amused and still Haruto.
The blond man lazily raised his black staff and twirled it around just as the fireballs reached him, blocking the destructive spheres from ever even touching him. It was not that the fire could hurt him; he just wanted to at least not humiliate her by blocking her attacks easily.
Her eyes widened in surprise when the fireball disintegrated the moment it touched the black staff.
"Look, don't make this any more difficult than it already is. I told you I'm here to talk." Haruto explained calmly.
"Why should I trust you?" She asked suspiciously, causing Haruto to smile a soft smile.
"If I wanted to cause you any harm, I assure you I would have already done it. So truce?"
"What proof do I have that you won't attack me?"
"I suppose you don't. Name is Haruto by the way."
That seemed to relax her a little bit as she ordered her Doll to stop. The surprising part was that every time he said those words, the offender would relax! "Yoshino. What do you want to know?"
"Why did you apologize before eating my soul?" Haruto asked calmly, crossing his feet below himself and hovering in the air in front of the surprised woman as his staff hovered in front of his crossed hands.
"I don't normally eat the souls of the living, but now I need it to get stronger to kill a certain someone." she replied mysteriously, prompting Haruto to gain a confused look on his face.
"Who?"
"Kariya Jin, the leader of the Bounts."
Haruto realized she was hiding something, if her uncomfortable stance was any indication. "You have some history with this Kariya character beside him being your leader."
"W-what?" She asked in surprise, wondering how he figured that out.
"Don't look so surprised, your uncomfortable look hints at more than what you said. If I'm correct, I would say he was your husband." She snapped her head towards him so fast he feared she might have broken her neck, her eyes wide in surprise and amazement.
"Yes, he was my husband but now he is just a stranger to me." she admitted with a tired sigh. The proverbial cat was out of the bag.
"Why?" he asked curiously, though he was more aware of the presence lurking around their location. Judging from the life force, the similar energy signature and the pungent sensation of his presence, the figure was a Bount and a rather vile one at that. Guess, he would have to dirty his hands tonight!
The amusing part was the man—from what he could sense and smell—probably thought that he was hidden masterfully. How naïve!
"I can't say."
"My my, isn't this a wonderful sight! I don't think Master Kariya would approve of you wondering off on your own again and talking with your food no less."
A voice filled with smugness and full of vile intentions announced from above them, causing Yoshino and Haruto to look up with different expressions on their faces. Yoshino was wide eyed, knowing that this man's appearance could mean only one thing; Kariya knew about her escape and wanted an audience with her.
Haruto on the other hand was grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey there, whatcha doing here?" he asked excitedly, causing the man to give him a look full of disgust and contempt.
"Shut up, you fool! Yoshino, come with me. Master Kariya wants to see you." the man declared, sheer contempt and smugness in his voice was clearly evident. "But this time, I don't think he'll let your disobedience unpunished."
"Utagawa! I'm not coming back!" she retorted and backed away with a heavy frown.
"You there, mean looking guy. Are ya trying to pick a fight with me?" Haruto asked in indignation, trying to appear insulted while he was ready to tear the guy from limb to limb. He had the guts and audacity to intrude upon his conversation.
"I was pretty sated when I arrived here, but now my hunger has reappeared due to your stupidity." The now named Utagawa announced in anger and leaped towards the seemingly confused Haruto.
Just as he reached him and was ready to consume his soul, a large hand shot up and wrapped around his neck, prompting him to widen his eyes in shock and absolute fear, since the grinning blond man was now eyeing him with calm and cold eyes. Those gleaming red demonic eyes sent shivers down his spine, as if he was looking deep into his twisted soul. He wondered why hadn't he noticed the eyes before now.
"Exterminating someone deprived of any principle is cruelty, however slaughtering with purpose is justice. Say your goodbyes." Haruto announced in his originally demonic tone. "Lightening Stream"
Utagawa let out an agonizing scream when Haruto's hand suddenly lit up in dark red lightening. His body felt as though it was being destroyed from the inside out. He didn't even have time to release his Doll, thinking the blond was just an ordinary human trash, waiting for him to devour his soul.
All the while Haruto looked into his eyes with those demonic eyes of his without a hint of remorse. At first, he was of the mind to let this one live with a few injuries, but his arrogant tone changed his mind. Thinking of his own kind as nothing but food just because he had a few special abilities was unforgivable.
Yoshino shivered in fright and tried to ignore the high volume screams of her fellow Bount as he was reduced to mere ash in Haruto's hand and scattered to the wind. Such power! Such cruelty! Well she couldn't exactly call it cruelty since Utagawa had attacked him first.
"Sorry you had to see that, but sometimes a lesson can only be learned with real consequences. Now then shall we proceed with our conversation." Haruto turned around and gave her a soft easy-going smile that at least relaxed her a little. "Why don't you come with me? I assure you nothing will be able to cause you any harm should you come with me, not even Kariya."
Yoshino looked at the extended hand in thought. His strength and power was already proven to be strong if his ruthless killing of Utagawa and blocking her Doll's fireballs were any indication. Maybe… just maybe… she would have a chance to kill Kariya if she joined forces with this strange but powerful man.
Without any hesitation, she took his hand, causing Haruto to let out a small smile and disappear along with her to his Mansion.